False press release being circulated on Miles case
Some hijinks appear to be afoot in the case of Jordan Miles, the Homewood student who was accosted by three police officers last January. To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the event this week, someone has apparently released a hoax press release, under a trumped-up version of the Fraternal Order of Police letterhead. Earlier this…
A few words before the moment of silence
This space joins with every American in lamenting this weekend’s horrific shootings in Tucson. A moment of silence is scheduled for 11 a.m. this morning. I hope readers of this blog will join me in honoring it. But let’s get this out of the way right up front. Yes, there are connections between this depraved…
The Cornel West Theory at AVA Lounge this Saturday
It’s not often that you find bands named for contemporary cultural theorists. (I mean, I guess it’s not that often that you find bands named for dead ones — The Benjamin Brigade? Susan Sontag’s Army?) But this weekend you can check out The Cornel West Theory, a hip hop-rock-soul-politics fusion ensemble from D.C. — which…
Well, Marcellus industry, if that’s how you want it …
Here’s something you don’t come across every day: an industry front group defending its environmental record … and citing as evidence claims it long opposed the very regulations it now says will protect us. This awkward moment comes courtesy of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, which represents companies drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus shale…
Hands of fate goose the next Film Kitchen.
Glenn Syska’s most impressive production yet is “Fortunex,” a wickedly satirical 2010 piece about a new pharmaceutical that makes poor people think they’re rich.
Carlos
If you’ve got six hours to kill this weekend, you could do worse than catching Olivier Assayas’ Carlos, which screens twice in its entirety at the Oaks Theater, in Oakmont. The 320-minute bio-pic depicts two decades in the globe-trotting life of Venezuelan Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, a.k.a. Carlos or “Carlos the Jackal”, one of the terrorist…
Coriander Indian Grill
A new Indian restaurant’s expansive menu offers a taste of Goa
A new troupe debuts, specializing in contemporary concert dance
Evolve is making a name for itself, primarily for its showcase-style productions mixing up-and-coming pre-professionals and established artists.
A local therapist publishes a new book for dealing with eating disorders.
“These girls, a lot of them can’t speak. They can’t express themselves.”
This Just In: January 6 – 13
Highlights from the local TV news
Policy Changes
Duquesne University opens new pharmacy in the Hill.
Steelpan City
Local woman hoping to use Caribbean drums to revitalize historic opera house
TM Eye combines the talents of Modey Lemon’s Phil Boyd and Preslav Lefterov
“We do like a lot of dark electronic music, but we also like poppy songs,” Boyd says. “This was a way we could mix things together, and maybe mix them up in a different way.”
Cloud Nothings reign in fuzz and buzz as they ready their coming-out album
The Cloud Nothings’ clamorous noise-pop generated significant buzz in the past year, vindicating 19-year-old Dylan Baldi’s decision to forsake education for the pop muse.
An August Wilson Center exhibit traces hip hop’s story — and Paradise Gray’s
Timing is everything with a photo of Barack Obama and Jasiri X: Was it taken before or after the emcee made national headlines with “What If the Tea Party Was Black?”
Looking for some great “devil’s music”? Try a church
Packing the pews at the First Unitarian Church were Pegi Young, backed by musicians who pull double-duty with husband Neil Young, and acoustic-guitar virtuoso Bert Jansch.
Tupelo Honey Teas
Hand-blended teas are a soothing, tasty treat
Savage Love
I’m a 27-year-old divorced woman. I married the first man I ever had sex with, and we had a very vanilla sex life. My fantasies have always involved my submission and my favorite porn features women being submissive. My current boyfriend is very open and experienced. With him, I’ve tried light bondage, dirty talk, gentle…
Vatican Splendors shows off Catholic treasures — and a few ironies of church-sponsored art.
While church-sponsored art could seem to transcend worldly concerns, this exhibit traces cultural shifts as well as the growth of the Catholic Church’s own power.
Short List: Week of January 6 – 13
Acclaimed writer Thomas Lynch has surely been questioned about his day job hundreds of times. But how could you not ask a widely published poet and writer about his 37 years as a small-town undertaker? Lynch, whose poetry collections include his latest, Walking Papers, lives in Milford, Mich. It’s a town of just 15,000 near…
New Ideas for the New Year
Here’s an idea Rick Sebak hasn’t turned into a Pittsburgh-themed documentary for WQED (yet): Things That Aren’t Here Yet, But Someday Will Be. In its never-ending quest to turn Pittsburgh into the City of Tomorrow, City Paper went in search of ideas that deserve more attention today. And just remember: You read it all here…
Summer Wars
Holy head-spin! Mamoru Hosoda’s animated feature is a colorful tangle of cyberpunk, Japanese clan history, coming-of-age comedy, a gentle rebuke of contemporary family life, a cautionary tale about trusting technology, an inspiring tale about trusting technology and a rousing we-can-do-it battle in which a deadly villain is defeated when we all pitch in. Briefly, a…
Leaving
Suzanne (Scott Thomas) lives with her husband and two teen-age children in a gorgeous house in the south of France. But her well-padded ordinary life is upended when she falls for Ivan (Sergi López), a rough-edged Spanish handyman. When their affair is revealed, everything — quite understandably, even among the genteel bourgeoisie — turns ugly.…
Stop HIV/AIDS with a topical gel
The idea of developing a topical gel to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV isn’t new: It may have first been proposed 15 years ago. But there have been significant steps forward, and Pittsburgh researchers are among leaders in the field. Pittsburgh is the epicenter of research into “microbicides” — topical substances that prevent the…
Legalize Online Poker
When it comes to gambling, Pennsylvania — and almost every other state — has followed the old cliché: If you can’t beat them, join them. Despite opposition from both ends of the political spectrum, the state has embraced casino gambling for one very basic reason: We needed the money. In November alone, Pennsylvania collected more…
Vertical farming in the city
In The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century, Dickson Despommier trumpets what he says is the solution to a number of food-related problems. Despommier recommends a system in which vertically integrated greenhouses in urban areas host hydroponic farms, growing food locally and efficiently in small spaces. Despommier points out that it currently…
Start a Pittsburgh bike-share program
If sharing works for cars, why not bikes? Pittsburgh got membership-based car-sharing in 2007. Now Zipcar Pittsburgh has about 40 locations around town, helping people travel more efficiently. Doing the same with bicycles — putting them where people can rent them readily and affordably — would go even further toward saving money, saving time and…
Expand “pop-up retail” opportunities
It’s win-win-win-win: filling a vacant retail space with a temporary store or similar venture. A retailer gets exposure and money; the street gets added vibrancy; a landlord can show off a spot’s potential; and passersby may discover something they need. “Pop-up” retailing has been gaining traction, most notably in cities far larger and — dare…
Personal cameras for police officers
For months now, federal investigators have been trying to determine what happened when three undercover police officers arrested Jordan Miles on Jan. 12. Was the former CAPA student acting suspiciously? Did the officers properly identify themselves? Did Miles resist arrest? Some experts say authorities could have answered those questions months ago — if the officers…
